A new study by the Pew Research Centre reveals that the United States has seen its first significant drop in immigrant population since the 1960s, largely due to President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration measures. The report, released on Thursday, shows a decrease of nearly 1.5 million immigrants between January and June 2025, bringing the total number down to around 51.9 million.
This sharp decline has been attributed to stricter enforcement, mass deportations, and reduced legal entry routes under Trump’s revived hardline immigration agenda.
Labour market suffers
The Pew report also speaks the economic consequences of this demographic shift. With over 750,000 fewer immigrants in the workforce, the US economy is starting to feel the strain, particularly in industries dependent on immigrant labour.
Jeffrey Passel, a senior demographer at Pew, explained that with little growth in the native working-age population, immigration has been the primary source of labour force expansion.
The reduction in immigrant numbers, he warned, could limit economic growth and productivity. One notable trend in the study is the decline in the unauthorised immigrant population, which had previously peaked at 14 million in 2023.
Tighter border enforcement, increased deportations, and the removal of legal protections under Trump’s administration have contributed to this drop.
While Biden-era border policy changes in 2024 initiated the slowdown, the Trump administration’s recent measures have significantly accelerated it.
Despite the decline, the US remains the world’s top host of immigrants in absolute terms. However, other countries like Canada and the UAE have a greater share of immigrants relative to their populations. In the US, the immigrant share fell from 15.8% in January to 15.4% by June.
Pew researchers also observed a shift in unauthorised immigrant origins, with fewer arrivals from Mexico and Central America and more from South America. Texas and California continue to have the highest immigrant populations, though their numbers are becoming more evenly matched.
